Chievo vs Bologna preview - Garics: We'll do talking on pitch

Bologna are battening down the hatches in a bid to save their Serie A season.

On the eve of their crunch clash with fellow strugglers Chievo, defender Gyorgy Garics has announced the squad is going into a media blackout for the rest of the season as they put all their focus into staying out of the bottom three.

"It will be a tough race, but too many words have been said," he said.

"We are in a delicate situation because what we have done so far is not enough. We must redeem ourselves because we want to stay in Serie A.

"We have two decisive months in front of us and we want to prove we deserve to stay in the top flight. From now on we will speak no more until the end of the season. We will do our talking on the field."

While Garics painted a picture of a squad rallying around one another, others have suggested the blackout is in fact a gagging order imposed by the club after a number of players, not least captain Diego Perez, spoke out of turn regarding recent troubles.

Whatever the real case may be, Bologna will make the trip north just two points outside the bottom three after their hard-fought 1-0 win over Cagliari at the weekend, just their fifth victory of a campaign in which an inability to convert draws into wins could yet be their downfall.

Chievo are one place beneath them in 17th, outside the bottom three on goal difference alone, and it threatens to be a dogfight at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.